by Mary Pearson – Explanations of how incorrect translations, misinterpretation and misunderstanding of the Original Scriptures have lead to unjustified prejudice against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender, and intersex people.

by Mary Pearson – PRIDE in being gay is not something that comes naturally when we live in a world that tells us we are ‚Äúevil‚ÄĚ and ‚Äúimmoral‚ÄĚ. For most of us, it is first a road of self-awareness, and then of self-acceptance. We then need to take a further step to determine the consequences of our ‚ÄúComing Out‚ÄĚ to family, friends and co-workers. For many, the losses are not worth revealing the truth and so they remain closeted. This is understandable.

by Mary Pearson – “Jesus loves me. This I know, for the Bible tells me so . . . ” unless you are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, Intersex or Queer, in which case you are told that Jesus loves everyone EXCEPT me. Well it’s time to set the record straight – if you’ll pardon the expression. Jesus loves ESPECIALLY His GLBTIQ children – for the Bible tells me so!

by Mary Pearson – In Genesis 18, the story about the angels coming to Lot’s house, we learn that the reason they were coming to destroy Sodom was because of the wickedness that ALREADY existed in the city. The exact form of wickedness is not mentioned in that story! Let’s just reinforce this CRITICAL piece of information. In the story of Sodom, in Genesis 18, God had ALREADY decided to destroy the city BEFORE the attempted rape of the angels

by Mary Pearson – For years people have accepted without question, that the sin of Sodom was homosexuality. A more careful examination of the story itself, combined with other passages in both Old and New Testaments, will indicate this not to be so.

by Mary Pearson People have used the Bible to endorse slavery and segregation, initiate wars and crusades, condemn inter-racial marriage, burn women at the stake as witches, support the racism of the Ku Klux Klan, approve of Hitler‚Äôs holocaust, etc, etc. . . . the list is long. We look at these atrocities now and wonder, how could people have been so wrong about what the Bible says? Are people wrong again about what the Bible says about homosexuality? How could this happen?

by Mary Pearson – The most accurate translation of the word “Abba” is “Daddy”, but the translators of the King James Bible felt that the term “Daddy” was not reverent enough, and so, although the CORRECT translation of “Abba” is “Daddy”, in your Bibles you will read “Father”. The translators had the best of intentions but for their own reasons they translated “Abba”, (Daddy) into “Father”, a term which is much more formal and rather distant compared to “Daddy”.

by Mary Pearson – We gays often hear that God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Well if God didn’t create Steve, who did? Many gays believe that we were created by God, with the same love that God created Adam and Eve. It is my contention that it is very possible that God did indeed create Adam and Steve, and Louise and Sue, at the same time or after He created Adam and Eve. The reasons that I hold this belief are many.

by Mary Pearson – “It is disgusting for a man to have sex with another man.” Lev 18:22. That seems pretty straight forward. But let’s put it into context here. What are some of the verses surrounding this verse? You may eat anything that lives in water and has fins and scales. But it would be disgusting for you to eat anything else that lives in water, and you must not even touch their dead bodies.” Lev 11:3-12. So having had a lovely seafood platter of scallops, shrimp and a lobster tail the other night (none of which have fins or scales), I had to put these verses into perspective this morning while doing my devotions.

by Mary Pearson – Many of us are painfully aware that two of the most-used Bible verses against gays are Romans 1:26,27. “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.” It’s important to know the truth of these verses, first for self-acceptance, and then to educate those who would use them against us.

by Mary Pearson – As a born-again Christian, I listen to Christian radio and TV and I hear daily about “moral issues” and “family values”. They don’t mean “morality” or “family”. They mean gay marriage, so why not call it what it is – anti-gay prejudice! They’re talking about keeping their “club” reserved for only those who fit their qualifications.

Traditional marriage, according to the Bible
– Consists of one man and one or more women, and concubines
– Women are the property of their father until married, and then become the property of their husband
– If a woman is not a virgin at the time of marriage, she shall be stoned
– A rapist must marry his victim
– If a man dies childless, his brother must marry the widow
– Inter-faith marriages are forbidden
– Divorce is forbidden

So let’s stop referring to this subject as if the Bible supports the concept of only one man to one woman! It does NOT!

by Mary Pearson – a small (22 page) crash course in understanding how it is possible to be gay and Christian. Topics include: Some Essential Facts about the words homosexual, sodomy and Sodomite, What did Jesus say about homosexuality?, Perversion and Abomination, Same-sex love in the Bible, Bible translation challenges, and much more

by Mary Pearson – I believe that the Bible teaches that God created (Genesis 1:14, Psalm 8:3), and arranged the stars into recognizable groups (constellations) (Job 9:9, 26:13, 38:31,32 and Amos 5:8) for ‚Äúsigns‚ÄĚ and ‚Äúseasons‚ÄĚ. He calls them by name (Psalm 147:4). However, I believe that the term ‚Äúsigns‚ÄĚ has been misinterpreted to substantiate things like astrology and horoscopes, when the real meaning is that they were to be navigational indicators for people to chart their courses around the earth and through the galaxies, and for a guide to the seasons, tides, weather, etc.

by Mary Pearson – While sitting in Church this morning, I was subjected to a message of prejudice, hatred and bigotry from the pulpit, directed against homosexuals regarding the upcoming legislation which would allow marriage by people of the same sex. As an ‚ÄúOUT‚ÄĚ lesbian Christian ‚Äď YES! It IS Possible! ‚Äď I feel an obligation to speak out for my brothers and sisters who would be subjected to persecution for taking a stand against this behaviour. So many of us must sit silently in your congregations every Sunday but you are hurting us.

by Mary Pearson – This article is the result of a letter to a dear man who requested counseling about the fact that his father will not accept his homosexuality, even after 30 years. His father has told him that he can’t be Christian if he is gay. Since this is such a universal problem for us all, I decided to print my response to him, in the hopes that it may help others.

by Mary Pearson – Kingston West Free Methodist Church has asked Lauren Min-Pearson to step down from her involvement with the teens at her Church. First and foremost, Lauren is a committed born-again Christian with an intense desire to serve the Lord in her personal life and in her Church community life. She also graduated with distinction as a Child and Youth Worker and has taught English in Korea for 3 years. She is a full-time employee at Pathways For Children and so is not only well qualified to teach these teens but also has a love and understanding of their needs. Perhaps no one is more suited than she to bring the necessary requirements to the position she once held.

Dear Betty, On May 5, 2001, Pope Paul II begged God’s forgiveness for sins committed by Roman Catholics against Jews, heretics and women. By doing so, he acknowledged that the “Church” has been wrong in the past. This morning, your husband, James, and your guest, Joyce Meyer, acknowledged that within the different denominations, we all … Read more